The Wizard

Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm Patch

DEADLIEST CATCH FISHING VESSEL: Wizard

Deadliest Catch Seasons: 3 and 4

Type of Crab:King, Opilio, and Tanner

Years at Sea:

History of the F/V Wizard

Built by the US Navy The Wizard is a 155’x30’ vessel commissioned to be built by the US Navy in 1945 in Brooklyn, NY by the Ira S. Bushey shipyard. Her original name is an International Marine Organization (IMO) number, YO-210. She is one of the few remaining YO-153 class vessels. Purchased by John JorgensenAfter the war, she was laid up in mothballs in Boston harbor. Some of the Oiler fleet was used as target practice, or for building artificial reefs off the eastern seaboard in the last few decades. YO-210 was eventually purchased and made one trip unsuccessfully as the Clifford K hauling molasses before being purchased by John Jorgensen in 1978 to be converted to a fishing vessel to fish crab in the Bering Sea. Renamed the Wizard after his grandfather’s Longliner, which was one of the premier cod and halibut boats in the Seattle fleet of the early and mid 20th Century. John’s father and grandfather were Norwegian immigrants in the pioneer days of the Alaskan commercial fishing industry, and John started working for them at a very young age. Left: John as a boy was onboard his fathers vessel the F/V MajesticRight: The Wizard was named after John's grandfather's Longliner Outfitted as a crabber Bender Shipyard in Louisiana converted the Wizard to a crabber in 1978, from where John and his family sailed her through the Panama Canal and on to Seattle where Marco Shipyard finished the conversion. She originally had 8 tanks for carrying oil cargo and a capacity of 240,000 gallons. During the conversion, two of the tanks were eliminated to increase the size of the engine room to hold added generators and a salt-water circulation system. Four of the original tanks are used for live holding tanks for crab, and the two forward tanks are used for dry storage and refrigerated seawater unit. The house and living quarters were increased, and a substantial amount of hydraulics for the two cranes and crab pot hauling equipment were added.she can hold 420000 lbs of crab Left: John Jorgensen clowning around in the crab holdRight: John Jorgensen and family sailing the Wizard through the Panama Canal Note the absence of the crab pot launcher on the starboard rail . Fishing in the King Crab Heyday The F/V Wizard (Fishing Vessel is a Coast Guard registered vessel) began fishing crab in 1979 during what is now known as the “King Crab Heyday” of the late 1970’s. She targeted primarily Bairdi crab (tanner) and the fledgling opilio (snow) throughout the 1980’s. In the late 1980’s, when king crab had recovered and opilio quotas surged to phenomenal levels, the Wizard routinely was one of the top 10 crab producers in the Bering Sea in a fleet that at times would be as large as 270 vessels. Under John Jorgensen’s tutelage while still active as a captain, Keith and Monte Colburn learned the ropes of many of the aspects of becoming proficient crab captains. The Wizard loaded with crab pots, circa 1978 Working the stack Mike Rodgers "Bear" Keiths first deck boss onboard . Wizard ranks in top 5 for King Crab allocations In 2005, when NOAA under the Dept of Commerce enacted the Crab Rationalization program, vessels of the Bering Sea were awarded IFQs (individual fishing quotas). The Wizard’s King and Opilio crab allocations were among the highest in the Bering Sea for an individual boat, ranking in the top 5 for Kings, and top 10 for Opilio, in a fleet in excess of 250 vessels. The Wizard riding low with a big catch in the Bering Sea., anchored in Village Cove St. Paul Island Note the oily seas, probably 28* water temp Vessel is sold to long-time Wizard Captain, Keith Colburn John Jorgensen and his partner Steve Soriano sold the vessel to Keith Colburn and his wife Florence in July of 2005. They maintain a close relationship with Keith harvesting John and Steve’s IFQ allocation, as well as that of a number of other IFQ crab holders, all by lease agreements. The Wizard is now working with another boat in the Alaska Crab Producers Cooperative. The Wizard gets a new paint job under new ownership by the Colburns

Mini bio:Keith considers himself to be an overly-prepared and meticulous captain who is more cerebral in his decision-making than most other skippers. Keith is a first-generation fisherman who grew up in Lake Tahoe, California, and who worked in restaurants from the time he was 14 until his early 20s. He decided to try fishing in 1985, at which time he went to Alaska with $50, a backpack and a tent. Now married with two children, Keith describes the fishing as being the greatest and worst lifestyle in the world.

Name:Crosby LeVeen Position: DeckhandSeasons on DC:

Mini bio: Crosby, originally from Maine, graduated with a Natural Resources/Aquatics degree from the University of Vermont. Despite his parents’ wishes that he pursue a career in law or medicine, Crosby returned to fishing. Crosby always wanted to visit Alaska and realized that taking a job on a boat might be his only way to afford the trip. His lawyer uncle put Crosby in touch with some fishermen clients of his, and Crosby made his first fishing trip to Alaska when he was 20. His mother specifically forbade Crosby from crab fishing after she saw an earlier season of Deadliest Catch, so he had to lie to his parents about the type of working he’d be doing in Alaska. When Crosby is not fishing, he enjoys traveling, hiking, and camping.Learn More About Crosby

Name: Nick MaurerPosition: DeckhandSeasons on DC:Mini bio: Capt. Keith Colburn calls Nick Maurar a “glorified greenhorn.” Nick first worked on a crab boat when he was 19. Nick suffered two broken legs from a car accident at the end of 2005. After spending a good part of the following year in physical therapy, Nick’s doctor wrote him a note saying that he was ready to get back on a boat. Nick is a native of San Diego, Calif, where he currently works on sport fishing boat.

Name: Lenny Lekanoff Position: EngineerSeasons on DC:Mini bio: A former deckhand on the Silent Lady, Lenny joined the Wizard in Season 3. Lenny's family has lived on Unalaska Island for generations. You're sure to run into a Lekanoff if you ever happen to visit.

Name: Monte Colburn Position: Deckhand; Relief Capt.Seasons on DC:Mini bio: Monte has been fishing since 1987. He is the brother of Captain Keith Colburn, and is expected to take the helm of the Wizard once his brother gets the operation fully running. Monte has been captain on several vessles including the F/V Sea Fisher, F/V Norseman and F/V Sirene.

Name:Gary Soper Position: First MateSeasons on DC:

Mini bio: A resident of Anchorage, Gary Soper has been with the Wizard, crab fishing for over 20 years. Soper fishes salmon in Bristol Bay in the summers. In the words of his young co-worker Nick Malar, “Gary gives everybody s***, but he’s a bad*** on the deck. A real brute.”

Name: Art PetersonPosition: DeckhandSeasons on DC:Mini bio: Art Peterson, formerly of the Silent Lady, has been fishing for over 10 years. Art is a former collegiate wrestler for Oregon State University. Art had made plans to work on a different crab boat in Season 3 until he got a call from his buddy Lenny Lankinoff, who had been hired by the Wizard. Art and Lenny had been fishing together on the Silent Lady for 7 years. Art spends at least 10 months out of each year on a boat, but still finds time to date when docked in a harbor town. All the money he makes from crabbing goes back into his own independent fishing ventures.

Name: Jason MoilanenPosition: GreenhornSeasons on DC:

Mini bio: This season on the Wizard is Jason's or "Moi's" first. When not fishing, he's based out of Washington state.Moi has horses and enjoyes hunting, hiking and fishing when he is away from the boat.

Name: Lynn GuitardPosition: GreenhornSeasons on DC:

Mini bio:Lynn hails from Washington state and has previously worked on the F/V Seahawk. This is Lynn's first season on the Wizard. Lynn is a huge Red Sox fan!

Name Travis Lofland

Position Deckhand Seasons on DC:

Mini bio:This is not the first time Travis has fished on the Wizard, but it is his first season with Deadliest Catch. When Travis isn't fishing, he's based out of the big island of Hawaii.

Name: Cooper Weatherby

Position: DeckhandSeasons on DC: Season 4

Mini bio:Cooper Weatherby, the Wizard's latest greenhorn, starts his fishing career on Deadliest Catch. After a successful first season, he's definitely headed back to the Bering Sea next year. He admits it's "kind of addicting."

When he's not at sea, he fights fires in Lake Tahoe during the summer and builds custom log homes. He also enjoys rock climbing, mountaineering and hiking. Cooper plans to return to school for a degree in Architecture at the University of Oregon.

Originally from Eugene, Oregon, he currently lives in Lake Tahoe, Calif.

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